What should a solo traveller check before landing in an unfamiliar city?

Save the local emergency number, share live location with one trusted contact, pre-load an offline map, know the address of your embassy, carry a photocopy of your passport separate from the original, and set a check-in reminder for arrival day.

Solo safety is a small stack of habits, not a gadget. Before you fly:

1. **Emergency numbers**: 112 covers most of Europe; the US and Canada use 911; Australia 000; UK 999 or 112. Save the local police non-emergency line too. 2. **Live location**: share with one person, not a group. Apple Find My, Google Maps location sharing, or AVARA's trip-scoped live tracking all work; pick the one that reaches your person fastest. 3. **Offline maps**: download the destination in Google Maps or Organic Maps before you leave WiFi. Data is not guaranteed. 4. **Embassy / consulate**: bookmark the address and after-hours phone. Register with your government's traveller programme (US STEP, UK LOCATE) for high-risk destinations. 5. **Passport backup**: photo in cloud storage plus a printed copy in a separate bag from the original. 6. **Arrival check-in**: schedule a message to your person for arrival hour so silence is a signal.

AVARA's crisis check-in packages steps 2, 5, and 6 into one flow for members.

Solo traveller arrival checklist

  1. Save the local emergency number — Europe 112, US/Canada 911, Australia 000, UK 999. Save the local police non-emergency line as a contact as well.
  2. Share live location with one trusted person — Pick one person, not a group. Apple Find My, Google Maps location sharing, or AVARA’s trip-scoped live tracking all work.
  3. Download an offline map — Save the destination in Google Maps or Organic Maps while you still have WiFi. Assume no data at arrivals.
  4. Register with your government’s traveller programme — US citizens use STEP; UK citizens use the FCDO travel advice sign-up. High-risk destinations get real-time embassy alerts and evacuation routing.
  5. Store a passport backup separately from the original — Photo in cloud storage plus a printed copy in a different bag from the passport itself.
  6. Schedule an arrival check-in — Set a message to your person for arrival hour so silence becomes a signal, not just a delay.

Related reading

Last verified 2026-07-29.

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